New alert system at Plum Borough School District aims to reduce emergency response times
PLUM, Pa. (KDKA) -- When students come back to the hallways at Plum Borough School District, teachers will be wearing special badges for everyone's safety and security.
It's a new tool that could ultimately saves lives, all with the click of a button on a badge that is worn around the neck. Once activated, a beacon located across campus pinpoints the person's location inside and outside and sends help.
"Response time is critical," said Ashley Boyers, Plum's assistant superintendent.
It's the first of its kind in the state, and Plum School District will be unveiling it when classes resume next month. It's an alert system designed to reduce response time in case of an emergency.
"It's important for us to ensure that students and staff feel safe so they can effectively learn and teach and take care of kids," said Boyers.
With the new wearable solution CENTEGIX CrisisAlert, staff can discreetly request help to their exact location inside and outside with a simple press of a button.
Every second counts when crises arise, from medical emergencies to physical altercations to extreme situations that affect the entire campus.
"The most powerful piece of the badge really is to put the entire campus into lockdown. When the badge is hit multiple times it will lock the school down," Boyers said.
"The critical piece to that is the communications to Plum Borough Police Department so they can see live time where in the building, what's going on and the ability to decrease that response time," Boyers added.
All day-to-day staff within the district will wear the badges, including bus drivers and athletic coaches.
Once the panic button is pressed, beacons located across the campus will light up according to the color-coding emergency plan.
"Essentially the beacons will mirror that color," Boyers said.
"What those beacons do is allow that visual cue of something is going on, we need to respond, how do we respond," he said.
District leaders have been working on implementing the system since December and hope this lifesaving tool will soon become a requirement at districts across the state.